The Human Rights Commission has called the video circulating showing two cops kicking and dragging a man in San Ignacio a use of excessive force by the authorities.
In a release today, the Commission went even further and said it was a blatant example of police abuse, and added that they were shocked to find out that the victim, David Small, wasn't even able to seek medical attention until after he was released.
Now the Commission is asking for harsher penalties for officers that are caught brutalizing citizens, but even more so, some type of intervention to prevent it.
Carlos Quiroz, Project Coordinator, Human Rights Commission
"They have identified his injuries as harm to his cheek, his left upper chest and abdomen. But of course I think the one on the cheek, I the video we say that the individual was stamped on his face by the police officer so I imagine that bruise or that injury on his face has to do something with that or maybe he got some more off camera that the video didn't capture. But over the weekend what happened is a Human Right Commission went to the station to check on Mr Small and we were concerned that his injuries were very serious because he seemed unconscious in the video so we went to check up on him in the police station and according to David, it was not until his release on Saturday night that he was allowed to go and seek medical attention."
"We understand that individuals may not always be the most cooperative with the police officers, they might resist arrest, stuff like that, but in this situation, you're right, the individual was handcuffed, he seemed unconscious already on the ground lying down and this police officer still stamped him in his face, kicking him, and the entire time he seemed unconscious so like we discussed, no matter what the individual might have done prior to his arrest, he's already arrested, he's on the ground, he's handcuffed and there should be no reason why that police officer proceeded to abuse him, both of them, not only one, both of them proceeded to abuse him in that manner."
"I don't want to accuse the department of not doing anything but we don't know what are the results of these investigations, where do they publish the results, and to what extent do they take these actions against these officers because what we say Friday, that's criminal. That's not just misbehavior by police officers, that's criminal, and that shouldn't be just some disciplinary action against them."
Quiroz suggested that officers received human rights training to prevent the use of excessive force. He also appealed to persons who have experience some type of brutality and aren't getting help from the police to contact the Commission for help.
